Queensland marks 10 years to go until Olympic Games Brisbane 2032
This weekend, people across Queensland will mark 10 years to go until the Olympic Games Brisbane 2032 begin. A series of “Have a Go” events featuring Olympic and Paralympic sports, at some of the Games-time venues and other iconic locations, will be held across Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
Encouraging people of all ages to get involved, the sessions will feature several Australian Olympic and Paralympic athletes, who will join the celebrations as part of the Australian Olympic Committee’s “Green & Gold Runway” initiative.
In addition to these activities, the Organising Committee is using the 10 years-to-go milestone to get “Brisbane 2032 Ready”, after outlining the planning and delivery stages that will be undertaken over the next decade.
Kirsty Coventry, who chairs the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s Coordination Commission for Brisbane 2032, commented ahead of the anniversary that the key to successful Olympic and Paralympic Games is an unrelenting focus on sport.
“Sport has the power to unify people, to improve people’s health and wellbeing, to teach the benefits of resilience and perseverance, and so much more. In an Olympic and Paralympic Games context, we can create cultural change, economic change, infrastructure change and social change around sport.
“The Brisbane 2032 vision and Games plan fit into that context, with long-term regional and national strategies for social and economic development in Queensland and Australia, while also complementing the goals for the Olympic Movement outlined in Olympic Agenda 2020 and 2020+5. Brisbane 2032 will be a great platform to showcase all these improvements, while focusing on providing memorable sports experiences for athletes and fans.
“We all know Australia’s universal love and understanding for sport and the Olympics, having twice hosted the Games. That’s why I think you have the best opportunity of all to harness the power of Brisbane 2032 and the benefits of Olympic Agenda 2020, as long as you keep sport and the athletes at the centre of your planning.”
Brisbane 2032 Board President Andrew Liveris noted that foundational planning is already underway in the Organising Committee, including the initial business, commercial, marketing and workforce plans for Brisbane 2032.
“People can expect the Organising Committee to focus on strategy development and planning over the next few years. As we approach the Games, we will begin the readiness phase before entering Games operations mode in the months leading up to and during Games-time,” he said.
“The Brisbane 2032 Organising Committee will have only a small number of employees in the initial planning years, and then numbers will gradually ramp until they reach several thousand at Games time.
“Having said that, there are many other organisations, sporting federations, government departments, councils and community associations that also play a significant role in the delivery of the Games, from start to finish.
“Across the 10-year project there will be opportunity for involvement, whether you’re an athlete, volunteer, spectator, sponsor, supplier, employee, contractor, artist, engineer, doctor or member of any other profession – Olympic and Paralympic Games draw on the skills and contributions of the entire community in the most innovative ways,” he said.
The Brisbane 2032 Games will benefit from the acceleration of a 10-year development timeline that was already in place to deliver venues and infrastructure to support the growing state. Games delivery partners such as the Australian and Queensland governments and South East Queensland councils are already planning the required venue upgrades, which will deliver legacies for future generations of Queenslanders.
There will be six new and eight upgraded venues planned for delivery across South East Queensland, that will help meet the demands of a rapidly growing population with a passion for sport.
More information about the “Have a go” activities taking place this weekend can be found on the Australian Olympic Committee website.